KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan football team boasts eight All-Mid-American Conference selections for the 2011 season including two first team selections and the program's seventh Defensive Player of the Year in Drew Nowak.
Nowak, a native of Green Bay, Wis., tied for the lead in the MAC with 8.5 sacks and ranked second with 20.0 tackles for loss, tied for the sixth most in a season in WMU history and ranking fifth in the nation in 2011. In addition, Nowak totaled 83 tackles on the year, which ranked third on the team and also tied for 20th in the conference.
This is the first all-conference nod of Nowak's career, earning First Team All-MAC Defense, and the first Defensive Player of the Year award for Western Michigan since Ameer Ismail in 2006. Nowak joins Ismail, Jason Babin (2002, 2003), Sean Mulhearn (1990), Mark Garalczyk (1986) and John Offerdahl (1985) on the list of Broncos to earn the honor.
Joining Nowak on the first team is Jordan White. This is the second First Team All-MAC Offense of White's career, joining Bob Phillips (1981, 1982), Tony Knox (1995, 1996), Steve Neal (1998, 1999, 2000), Greg Jennings (2004, 2005) and Jamarko Simmons (2007-08) as the only WMU receivers to accomplish the feat in multiple seasons.
White leads the nation in receiving yards (1,646), receiving yards per game (137.2 ypg), receptions (127), receptions per game (10.6 rpg) and receiving TDs (16). He now owns all but two receiving records in program history.
Earning Second Team All-MAC Offense is quarterback Alex Carder. Carder, who leads the conference in passing (312.2 ypg), threw for over 400 yards in four games in 2011, twice breaking the school's single-game record and matching the MAC record for TD passes with seven at Toledo. He is the only QB to have five 400-yard games in his career and now ranks third in career passing TDs with 58.
Sophomore rover Johnnie Simon earned Second Team All-MAC Defense on the strength of his 103 tackles in 2011. It is the first time a Bronco has eclipsed 100 tackles since Louis Delmas in 2008 and it is the first all-conference nod of Simon's career.
Three Broncos earned Third Team All-MAC Offense. Dann O'Neill, Chleb Ravenell and John Potter made the list in 2011. For O'Neill it is his first all-conference acknowledgement after starting every game this season at right tackle.
Ravenell also earned his first all-conference after ranking second on the team in receiving yards (769) and receiving TDs (8), and tying for second in receptions (59). His break out game came against Connecticut where he had eight grabs for 118 yards and two scores in the fourth quarter alone.
Potter became the program's career scoring leader in 2011 and now holds the mark at 325 points. He also holds the mark for PATs made (181) and consecutive PATs made in a career (126) and season (54).
Earning Third Team All-MAC Defense is junior defensive end Freddie Bishop. Bishop has been a staple on the edge for WMU in 2011. He ranks second on the team in tackles for loss (12.0), sacks (5.5) and QB Hurries (5). This is also Bishop's first career all-conference nod.
Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish was named the Vern Smith Leadership Award winner and the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Eastern Michigan's Ron English won MAC Coach of the Year, Ohio's Matt Weller earned MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and Bowling Green's Anthon Samuel won MAC Freshman of the Year.
2011 MAC Specialty Award Winners
Vern Smith Leadership Award
Winner: QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois
Coach of the Year: Ron English, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Player of the
Year: QB Chandler Harnish, Northern
Illinois
Defensive Player of the Year: DL Drew Nowak, Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the
Year: K Matt Weller, Ohio
Freshman of the Year: RB Anthon Samuel, Bowling Green
2011 All-MAC First Team Offense
Position - Name - School
Quarterback - Chandler
Harnish, Northern Illinois @
Center - Scott Wedige,
Northern Illinois @
Offensive Linemen - Mike
VanDerMeulen, Toledo %
Offensive Lineman - Trevor
Olson, Northern Illinois @
Offensive Lineman - Joe
Flading, Ohio @&
Offensive Linemen - Pat
Boyle, Temple
Tight End - Evan Rodriquez,
Temple @
Wide Receiver - Jordan White,
Western Michigan @
Wide Receiver - Eric Page,
Toledo @!
Wide Receiver - Nick Harwell,
Miami #
Wide Receiver - Kamar Jorden,
Bowling Green @
Running Back - Bernard
Pierce, Temple @ ^
Running Back -Branden Oliver,
Buffalo
Placekicker -Mathew Sims,
Northern Illinois
2011 All-MAC First Team Defense
Position - Name - School
Outside Linebacker -Aaron
Morris, Ball State
Outside Linebacker - Khalil
Mack, Buffalo
Inside Linebacker - Brian
Wagner, Akron !
Inside Linebacker - Dwayne
Woods, Bowling Green #
Down Lineman - Roosevelt Nix,
Kent State @
Down Lineman - Adrian
Robinson, Temple @ ^
Down Lineman - Chris Jones,
Bowling Green %
Down Lineman - Drew Nowak,
Western Michigan
Defensive Back - Jahleel
Addae, Central Michigan %
Defensive Back - Dayonne
Nunley, Miami
Defensive Back - Desmond
Marrow, Toledo
Defensive Back - Sean Baker, Ball
State #
Punter - Brian Schmeidebusch,
Bowling Green
2011 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Position - Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist -
Eric Page, Toledo @
Punt Return Specialist -Eric
Page, Toledo
2011 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Position - Name - School
Quarterback - Alex Carder,
Western Michigan %
Center - Zac Kerin, Toledo
Offensive Lineman - Brandon
Brooks, Miami # !
Offensive Lineman - Jordan
Hansel, Ball State
Offensive Lineman - Brian
Winters, Kent State %
Offensive Lineman - Eric Herman,
Ohio
Tight End - David Blackburn,
Central Michigan
Wide Receiver - LaVon
Brazill, Ohio !
Wide Receiver - Briggs
Orsbon, Ball State
Wide Receiver - Perez
Ashford, Northern Illinois
Wide Receiver - Marcus
Rivers, Buffalo
Running Back - Adonis Thomas,
Toledo #
Running Back - Jasmin
Hopkins, Northern Illinois
Placekicker - Matt Weller,
Ohio ^
2011 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Position - Name - School
Outside Linebacker - C.J.
Malauulu, Kent State
Outside Linebacker - Tahir
Whitehead, Temple
Inside Linebacker - Travis
Freeman, Ball State
Inside Linebacker - Noah
Keller, Ohio ! +
Down Lineman - Sean Progar,
Northern Illinois @
Down Lineman - Tremayne
Scott, Ohio
Down Lineman - Nate Ollie,
Ball State
Down Lineman - Brad Ohrman,
Eastern Michigan
Defensive Back - Johnnie
Simon, Western Michigan
Defensive Back - Josh
Pleasant, Kent State
Defensive Back - Jimmie Ward,
Northern Illinois
Defensive Back - Travis
Carrie, Ohio
Punter - Brandon McManus,
Temple
2011 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Position - Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist -
BooBoo Gates, Bowling Green
Punt Return Specialist - Jamill
Smith, Ball State
2011 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Position - Name - School
Quarterback - Tyler
Tettleton, Ohio
Center - Ben Bojicic,
Bowling Green
Offensive Lineman - Dann
O'Neill, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman - Wayne
Tribue, Temple
Offensive Lineman - Eric
Fisher, Central Michigan
Offensive Lineman - A.J.
Strum, Ohio #
Tight End - Garrett Hoskins,
Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver - Nate Palmer,
Northern Illinois
Wide Receiver - Titus
Davis, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver - Cody Wilson,
Central Michigan #
Wide Receiver - Chleb
Ravenell, Western Michigan
Running Back - Donte' Harden,
Ohio
Running Back - Matt Brown,
Temple #
Placekicker - John Potter,
Western Michigan %
2011 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Position - Name - School
Outside Linebacker - Justin
Cudworth, Eastern Michigan
Outside Linebacker - Jerrell
Wedge, Miami
Inside Linebacker - Luke
Batton, Kent State
Inside Linebacker - Ryan
Kennedy, Miami
Down Lineman - Austin Brown,
Miami #
Down Lineman - Morkeith
Brown, Temple
Down Lineman - Freddie
Bishop, Western Michigan
Down Lineman - T.J.
Fatinikun, Toledo %
Defensive Back - Latarrius
Thomas, Eastern Michigan
Defensive Back - Kevin
Kroboth, Temple
Defensive Back - Luke Wollet,
Kent State
Defensive Back - Marlon
Pollard, Eastern Michigan
Punter - Scott Kovanda, Ball
State
All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Position - Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist - Donte'
Harden, Ohio
Punt Return Specialist -
Terrell Jackson, Buffalo @
@ 2010 First team All-MAC
# 2010 Second team All-MAC
% 2010 Third team All-MAC
^ 2009 First team All-MAC
! 2009 Second team All-MAC
& 2009 Third team All-MAC
~ 2008 First team All-MAC
+ 2008 Second team All-MAC
